Bill's POV

No, no, no! How could this happen?

I swear, not even a week ago, Pine Tree discovered the invisible text in the journal - now, the twins have the author's laptop?!

Thankfully, they don't know the password to get into the laptop, but that doesn't stop Pine Tree from trying. Shooting Star promises to help, but she's distracted by yet another guy. He's way too old for you! Get a life!

Oh, this is terrible! They're getting too close too quickly to uncovering the biggest secrets of the universe. If they unlock the laptop, they could find out about the incident thirty years ago. And if they do, who knows what they'll do then? They could go traipsing around the world getting into trouble, or they could try to visit another world - or worse: try to find the King and Queen and reunite with them! The only way the King and Queen are getting the kids is if they hand over those few precious secrets they're keeping from me!

I follow the kids out of the library. Thankfully, they don't look back and see my shadow on the wall. I might be in the mindscape, but sometimes folks can see shadows of people in the mindscape. They would freak out if they ever saw my shadow following them. I didn't exactly have a pleasant "first encounter" with them last time.

Now, the twins are just getting supplies for another one of Shooting Star's schemes. No idea why they're getting socks or talking about musical numbers, so now seems like a good time to head home and revise my plans...again. I've got to figure out how to get the laptop from them - or destroy it. I'm okay with either.

Mystery Person's POV

I don't know what Bill is up to. He just seems to be following those two children around as if worried they're gonna do something dangerous. Yes, I know who the twins are - I'm not that out of the loop - but other than crossing through the portal thirty years ago, they haven't ever done anything dangerous. At least, I don't think so. News doesn't spread from world to world that easily, and I'm not great at using my powers yet to reveal truths and events from the past.

I hurry to catch up to Bill when he turns away from the kids - dang it! He disappeared! Probably back to his home. I've tried forever to find his home, but it must be somewhere in the Kingdom, because I can't find it anywhere else, and the Kingdom is the one place I can't go. Now, I'm wishing I hadn't turned myself invisible. Then he could see me and we could catch up - but there's still a part of me that's kinda scared to. It took me forever to harness control over my powers, but what if he asks me about the apocalypse? I can't just tell him the truth of what happened.

An echo-y voice calls my name. My friend. I create a portal and jump through it, landing in the middle of a huge, golden throne room. I tilt my head back to see the three tall thrones. None of them are occupied. But, I thought I heard -

"Nice to see you again."

I turn around. "Ofelia." I cross the distance between us and hug her tight. "I missed you a lot."

"You can stay here," she says, pulling apart from the hug and gazing at me with big brown eyes. "You and your family can always stay with us. You know that, right?"

"I know." I lower my gaze to the ground. "But I can't. My family could, but I can't."

Ofelia frowns. "Why not?"

"I, uh...well-"

"If you're still thinking about that terrible night," the king says, walking out from behind one of the towering thrones, "you shouldn't worry about it." I watch him as he comes over to join us, swaths of red and gold swooshing and sweeping behind him. "It's not your fault."

"Yes, it was." I know I shouldn't argue with royalty, but let's face it: all that destruction and misery was my fault, and I can't let it go. "I couldn't control my powers, and I ended up unleashing a terrible force on everyone."

"Trust me," the king says, laying a hand on my shoulder. "It wasn't you. Though you were, and are, quite powerful for your age, there is no way that apocalypse could ever be caused by you."

"But if it wasn't me, then what was it?"

The king gazes at me pitifully. "I'm afraid I don't know for certain."

I stare at the polished floor again.

"Please stay," Ofelia begs, taking my hand and holding it between both of hers. "You're my best friend."

I turn my head and look up at her through my lashes. "Even after I left you in the middle of the labyrinth when Vidal was after you and the baby?"

The intensity and sincerity of her eyes make me regret every bad decision I ever made - but she gently says, "I know why you left me, and it's okay. You're still my friend." The two royals envelop me in a hug when I start crying.

We stay like that for a while before I hear the queen's voice say, "Look who's back for a visit." Breaking apart from the hug, I see the queen striding over to us, a kind smile on her face. "How long are you here for?"

"Actually," I say, dabbing at my eye and sniffing, "Ofelia summoned me."

"I have something to show you." She tugs my hand, and I practically trip over my feet trying to keep up with her hurried pace.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"You'll see." She leads me down golden hallway after golden hallway until finally, we reach the gigantic doors that lead to her room. She pries one open, and we both slip through.

The first thing I notice is the Book of Crossroads on her bed. The second thing, that it's open to somewhere past the middle of the book. Ofelia lets go of my hand and strides over to grab her book. "Look at this," she says, holding the page out for me to see.

I step over and look. "Why are the words and pictures faint?"

"Something is happening to the magic of the Book." The princess looks me straight in the eye as she says, "I don't know much about this kingdom before I came back, but I know that thirty years ago there was a strange fluctuation of magic in this world. My parents didn't want me to find out, but I heard them talking to a couple fauns the other day about how the magic is fading in this world."

"Fading? But that's impossible. The only way that could happen is-" I don't finish my thought, because I desperately don't want it to be true.

"Is what?" Ofelia insists.

"...I'm not entirely sure," I say slowly, adjusting my hat, "but I think it has something to do with the main Kingdom."

Her brown eyes widen. "You really think so?"

I nod, rub the back of my neck. "That's the one place I can't get to, and everywhere else I've been to, things have been fine." Although, now that I'm thinking about it, strange occurrences and phenomena have been happening - but I don't tell her that. "I'm sorry, Ofelia, but I have to go," I say, backing away from her.

"Already?"

I turn away from her sad expression. "I have to check on some business."

"Please stay!" Her voice makes me stop, one hand on the doorknob. "The fauns and fairies have been asking about you. They've never met a person like you and have so much to ask you...It's also my birthday," she adds when I stay silent.

Crud, her birthday? I mentally slap myself, glance behind me, and tell her, "I really have to take care of this, but I promise I will come back and spend the rest of the day with you." I bid her goodbye, and it's not until I'm halfway down the hallway that I create a portal to take me back to Gravity Falls.

No matter how hard I search, I can't find Bill. When I find the lost Prince and Princess, they're just making sock puppets. Even though it's such a harmless activity, I can't help but fear for them. At least I understand why Bill's so concerned with them: it's not that they're doing anything dangerous - it's that they're in danger. If the magic's going out in Ofelia's kingdom, and weird things are happening on other worlds, then that means that the Kingdom is greatly affected.

I only wish I knew how badly, or what's causing it. But one thing's for sure: someone needs to inform Dipper and Mabel of the Ten Symbols Prophecy.

And fast.

A/N: Guys, did you see the latest episode, "Not What He Seems?" I just can't get over how epic it was! This story's catching up to that episode. It should be in about five chapters, or so.

I hope you're enjoying it so far! :)